Johann Strauss
LA CHAUVE-SOURIS
Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 2003

Roland Petit’s “Fledermaus à la française”, “La Chauve-souris”, was originally created for the Ballet National de Marseille in 1979 with Petit’s wife Zizi Jeanmaire partnered by Denis Ganio and Luigi Bonino as the mastermind of the nocturnal escapades.The action was transferred from the operetta’s Vienna to the Paris of Vaudeville theatres, which was the original source of Johann Strauss’s celebrated operetta. Directed by Luigi Bonino, Petit’s assistant of many years, who also dances the role of Ulrich, it features two more dancing stars from the “Petit school” in the principal roles: Massimo Murru, the male star dancer of La Scala’s company, for whom Petit had written several ballets and Alessandra Ferri, who counts among the finest ballerinas of today. Awarded with the coveted title of “Prima Ballerina Assoluta” at La Scala, she was once described by Roland Petit as the only rightful successor to legendary Zizi Jeanmaire.